To Market, to market

Posted by Jennifer

At the Green Barn, it is pretty much all roots, all the time -- give or take a few apples and cabbages.

Many of the regular vendors are instead selling products made from their crops -- cider, jams, small-batch milled flour. The Sosnickis, who are well-known at several markets for their tomatoes, still have some onions and cabbage, but are also serving up perogies, both cooked to eat on site or frozen to take home. They also offered up news that they are starting to grow more tomato plants in their greenhouse (about 900 plants), so tomatoes will arrive at market sooner this year.

There are more egg and meat vendors than usual at any summer market. Among them, the Belangers (East Lynn, Liberty Village) offer samples of the meat pies they sell frozen. They also have lamb and beef. Green Gate Farm  (Sorauren and others) sells both beef and pork.

ChocoSol, St. John’s Bread, Evelyn’s Crackers and Fish Shack are among the Saturday morning favorites. Lifting everyone’s spirits, there is a great string band.

Haggis tasting in honour of Robert Burns Monday January 25th

posted by Alison

Haggis, seven of them running around the restaurant, having been freshly caught that morning, okay so I slightly exaggerated...................


Martin Kouprie, chef & co-owner of Pangaea extended an invitation I couldn't refuse - taste seven different haggis (haggi?)made by his kitchen staff, including one waiter.
Now I grew up in Scotland and do enjoy haggis so I was all set to do them justice, with my fellow tasters, Lucy Waverman, a fellow Scot, Corey(Toronto Star) and Cheryl(taste.to) I had fully intended just to have a wee bit of each but that didn't last long and clean plates went back to the kitchen each time.

All were creatively presented, one was even deep fried! Which if I saw on a menu I would probably order out of curiosity, but alas the batter was too doughy.

There were two haggis which stood out, although it was hard to choose the winning one, we bravely managed. Winner Chris Waye had the right balance of spicing, offal and was spot on with the amount of oatmeal and stock to make it not too dry, not too soggy.

His accompaniments were caramelized brussel sprouts, (b. sprouts are trendy these days if you haven't already noticed) a wonderful sweet flavour, but the really interesting addition was a poached egg! The egg when broken managed to create a tasty sauce for the haggis.

Christopher Waye's winning haggis will be on Pangaea's lunch menu on Monday (January 25th) celebrating Robert Burns Day.

Pangaea
1221 Bay St (at Bloor)
Toronto
416-920-2323

To Market, to market

Posted by Jennifer

The Green Barn, which looks so cavernous in the summer when the vendors are outside, seems so much smaller when jammed with stalls and shoppers once the market has moved inside for the colder months.

After missing Potato Lady (aka Marvellous Edibles) whose once-a-month appearance was mid-November, I am determined not to miss the Stoddarts and their duck eggs on the last Saturday of the month. I get there and so do they. Alas, they have no eggs at all -- just their beautiful wool.

This proves just a momentary setback when there are so many other attractions. With the Christmas baking season already underway,  one wants eggs, eggs, and more eggs. I stock up from Everdale and Highmark Farm, where I also get purple broccoli. Webers also have eggs but this time I get sausage from them.

Woolerdale Farm has some of the most appealing vegetables.  I resist the baby beets and rainbow of carrots but give in to Jerusalem artichokes, and several varieties of fingerling potatoes.

Who can resist a stop at St. John’s Bread?  I have not seen their brioche before so I have to try it.  Not overly buttery, and a little lopsided, it does have perfect brioche texture.

Since the Green Barn has a rotating group of vendors to accommodate farmers who are here just for the winter,  I guess I will have to go every week!

Friday Lunch: Caplansky's Delicatessen

Posted by Jennifer

All saturated fat all the time for this Friday Lunch. Celts and Anglos though we are, we go for the true Eastern European experience by ordering up a smoked meat on rye and a smoked meat knish We made one mistake in ordering, asking for medium thick slices which are a little on the chewy side.  Next time we will get thinly sliced meat. Nonetheless with its spear of pickle on the side, this is a satisfying sandwich.

Much of the meat has oozed from the knish. Its pastry is tasty but the potatoes totally innocuous. For an added dollop of starch, we also have a Gryfes toasted bagel with butter.  Too doughy in comparison to the  Montreal- style bagel that we love.
 There is differing opinion on the apple cake. Two really like it, the third thinks it is too dry.  Those in favour consumed it with tea or coffee.


Our verdict:  stick to the smoked meat sandwich--thinly sliced.
A bagel, sandwich , knish, and cake cost $21.47.

To Market, to market

Posted by Jennifer

It is a sad sight at the Bloor/Borden farmers’ market. Not only is it gray and wet, there are only about half a dozen vendors left for this last day. For a change, I buy some sheep’s milk cream cheese from the Grevelings. They do not have an indoor spot for the winter. Then it is on for cabbage, yet more potatoes,and a squash from Marvellous Edibles to tide me over until their first Saturday, November 14, at the Green Barn.

As I leave to get back on the subway, I almost trip over two other shoppers who are chatting about the things they enjoyed at the market. There’s nothing to do but join the conversation about the great potatoes, pistachio and cranberry-studded sausages, and heirloom tomatoes we have enjoyed over the summer. One of the women turns around so she can buy some sausages. The other woman, previously unknown to me, walks along with me continuing to talk about produce and cookbooks. On this last day of the market for the year, it is a real lesson in what markets are about: eating well, eating locally, and building community.

Scallops with white sesame sauce, tobiko and nori & the spectacular pork belly tonkatsu with crispy house made bacon

Duck with wakame seaweed, borage flowers and summer truffle.

Milk-fed veal cooked sous vide, covered in ash (as if seared or bbq'd) with rosemary ash and stems and radish

Steak from the region of Galicia, perhaps the source of the best beef steak in Spain.

Grilled zucchini flowers, Bresse chicken and fava beans in a Bresse chicken broth.

House-made chorizo on toast, to begin.

Note Bene Restaurant Steak Experience

I have eaten at Note Bene Restaurant several times over the past 10 days. Their beef, particularly the rib steak (yes, I ate the 33oz steak!) specially selected by Chef David Lee, from the very best prime Canadian beef at Cumbrae's, tastes exceptional! The flavour is very complex, a by-product of well aged beef that has been carefully raised and fed the very best mix of feeds that Cumbrae's farmers have custom formulated together with Steve Alexander, owner of Cumbraes. The texture is quite exceptional as well. I also enjoy the wagyu beef burger, again, custom blended by Chef Lee with Cumbrae's wagyu beef. I order this burger rare.

Pidgeon from Araiz, a town in Navarre famous for the quality of wild pidgeon (much like Bresse for it's chicken), with a rosemary, black truffle cream. The pidgeon had an extraordinary flavour with a sublime texture.

Roasted red mullet with crystals of it's scales, white chocolate sauce, cream of seafood and tail of Iberian pork.

A pork broth with braised Iberian endive, and melt in your mouth "balls", one of pork tongue, pork cheek and cheese.

The Galician Beef

Perhaps the best beef of Spain, where milk cattle, kept like pets, tag along on a rope with their owners and when finished their milking life after 9 to 22 years, are slaughtered for beef. This beef was especially selected forChef Berasategui and was served rare. It was extremely succulent and flavourful. From my personal experience, it was better than Argentine and great Canadian beef, and at least as good as or even better than the best of American U.S. prime beef.

To Market, to market

Posted by Jennifer

On Saturday morning I went back to the Withrow market since I managed to get there just before closing time on my first visit. One of the most conveniently located markets, it is just south of Danforth, between the Chester and Pape subway stations -- great for people who do not drive.

My usual strategy at any market is to do a stroll-pass before stopping to buy anything. On this morning I receive a painful reminder to buy immediately if there is something I really want. What I saw and really wanted was an Aunt Ruby’s German Green tomato at Haystrom’s. When I went back, a matter of minutes later, it was gone.
There was more bad news there. The heirloom tomatoes will only be available for one more week. On the other hand, Webers still had lots of eggs left.

Withrow has good take-away food at Preston Empanadas and Saucier Foods, both of which are also at the Sorauren market on Mondays. Saucier Foods, run by the former chef of Café Brussel, also has Limousin beef on offer here--but not at Sorauren. There is also St. John’s Bread.

This is one of the few markets offering other goods -- pottery, handmade wooden items, and if I remember correctly, jewellery.

THE BI-ANNUAL TORONTO PURVEYOR'S STEAK TASTING

Posted by Josh

Every two years, there is a get together of serious steak tasters to see which of the better beef suppliers provides the best rib and sirloin steaks. This year, the group consisted of chef Mark Macewan, Josh Josephson, chef David Lee, Jimmy Molloy, chef Joe Bersani, Clayton Ruby, Todd Halpern and David Minucci, co-owner of L'Unita restaurant. All steaks were cooked rare by one chef (David Lee). Another individual cut the pieces and a third person plated the pieces in a certain order so that essentially, this tasting was done "blind". All steaks were referred to by number when scored. None knew the results, or which steak connected with what number, or score, except a fourth individual who was responsible for scoring after all steaks were scored.

These were the results for the best rib steaks: #1 Cumbraes, #2Healthy Butcher wagyu, #3 Macewan, #4 Top Meadow Farm, #5 The Butcher Shop, #6 Olliffe.

These were the results for the best sirloin steaks: #1 Cumbraes, #2 Macewan, #3 Olliffe and The Butcher Shop tied, #4 Whole Foods

Bitten: Ooey Gooey

Posted by Jennifer

One of my favourite stops on my neighbourhood shopping circuit is About Cheese on Church Street south of Wellesley. The fine selection of Canadian and international cheese, EPI Breads, Thornloe artisanal butter, and the generous samples are all reasons enough to draw you into this tiny shop. However, it gets better: they make a grilled cheese sandwich ($6.50).

The combination of Riopelle and Frère Jacques cheeses between slices of rosemary olive bread is transformed into a molten mass Usually, I think that Riopelle, like brie, is best served unadulterated. But, who can resist this golden goo?

The six minutes this transformation takes gives ample time to race to close-by neighbour Cumbrae Farms, to pick up some of their Berkshire lard or cream-fed pork belly.

You can also have the sandwich with la Quercia rossa prosciutto. Personally, I prefer it without. Any additions take this already indulgent treat way beyond.

Photos by Gina

To Market, To Market

Posted by Jennifer

This is my first visit this year to the Liberty Village market. My reward is meeting two vendors I have not come across elsewhere. Esker Ridge Farms seems to specialize in –you guessed it—beets, and Swiss chard. Naturally, I have to try the beets. An heirloom variety, the two bunches of bull’s blood small red-veined leaves, tender enough for salad. The roots are remarkably uniform in size—about as big as a man’s thumb. They scream, “Pickle me!”.

McLeans from Buckhorn have potatoes –blues and reds- which are coloured all the way through. I can’t wait to try them since some rosy pink scalloped potatoes I had in one of Gary Hoyer’s restaurants is a favourite food memory.

Scotch Mountain Meats is back here after a year’s hiatus. By the time I get there some cuts are sold old but blade steak is on the menu for dinner tonight.